from the SMH

GODWIN GRECH was attempting to collude on fees paid to an investment banker, while styling himself as an intimate adviser to the Liberal leader, Malcolm Turnbull.

A report into the so-called ''Utegate'' affair outlines extensive links between Mr Grech and Mr Turnbull, John Howard's former chief of staff Arthur Sinodinos, and also John O'Sullivan, the head of investment banking at Credit Suisse and the husband of The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen.

MALCOLM TURNBULL'S critics have vowed to keep pursuing him and warned that unless the Coalition's standing in the polls improves early next year, he should expect another leadership challenge.

After days of rancour and division caused by Mr Turnbull's support for an emissions trading scheme, the Opposition Leader survived a leadership challenge by seven votes yesterday, beating Kevin Andrews by 48 to 35.

Mr Turnbull, whose temperament throughout the debate further alienated his detractors and worried his supporters, pledged to improve his manner.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has urged his colleagues to unite behind him after a turbulent 24 hours for the Liberals which climaxed in the party's rejection of a move to hold a leadership spill.

The motion to hold a leadership ballot was brought on by backbencher Wilson Tuckey, but was voted down in the party room by 48 to 35 votes.

Mr Turnbull's leadership has been in dire trouble since he declared the Opposition would vote for the Government's amended emissions trading scheme (ETS) after a marathon day of meetings yesterday.

Barack Obama used his first day in China to offer a carefully worded critique of Beijing's record on freedom of speech, telling an audience of students that it was good for leaders to be forced "to hear opinions that [they] don't want to hear".

But by the end of the day that pointed message had been wrapped in a deferential approach apparently designed to avoid any serious clash with America's largest foreign creditor.

from the Guardian

Barack Obama acknowledged today that time had run out to secure a legally binding climate deal at the Copenhagen summit in December and threw his support behind plans to delay a formal pact until next year at the earliest.

During a hastily convened meeting in Singapore, the US president supported a Danish plan to salvage something from next month's meeting by aiming to make it a first-stage series of commitments rather than an all-encompassing protocol.

Brown's pledge to prevent future governments cutting overseas aid will appear as a draft bill only

By Jane Merrick and Brian Brady

From the Moscow Times

Power is measured by four criteria: the number of people whom the person exerts power over; the financial resources that the person controls, with a country’s gross domestic product used for heads of state; the number of spheres in which the person is influential; and the extent to which the person exercises his power.

From Joe Hockey

What followed was the humiliation of Bryan and his literal interpretation of the Bible as he sought to argue the historical truth of Genesis. That Adam and Eve were really the first humans to walk the Earth just 6000 years ago; that 2300 years before Christ, all living things - apart from those saved by Noah - were wiped from the planet, and that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish.

From my perspective, Bryan's most damning words were: ''I believe in creation as there told, and if I am not able to explain it, I will accept it."

THE Chaser funnyman Julian Morrow has urged the ABC not to give in to the ''short-term hysteria of media outrage'' because it risks damaging its independence and integrity.

Delivering the Andrew Olle Media Lecture last night, Morrow said he was not sorry for people offended by the ''make a realistic wish'' sketch that led to the comedy group's being taken off air for two weeks.

From Ms Albrechtsen

By North America correspondent Lisa Millar

The American General who led coalition forces in Iraq during the surge has been presented with an honorary Order of Australia.

The head of US Central command, David Petraeus, was appointed an honorary officer of the Order of Australia at a ceremony in Washington.

The four-star general was nominated for his leadership of coalition forces in Iraq for 18 months from January 2007.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has vowed to remove the "stigma" of corruption, a day after winning a new five-year term.

In his first remarks since being declared winner on Monday of August's fraud-marred poll, he also pledged to lead an inclusive government.

And he called on "Taliban brothers" who have been fighting an insurgency against him to "embrace their land".

The Taliban said in a statement it would continue its fight and called Mr Karzai "a puppet".

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By TOM ZELLER Jr.

NEW YORK — News last week of the first major influx of Chinese capital and wind turbine manufacturing expertise into the renewable energy market in the United States — a 600-megawatt wind farm planned for the plains of west Texas — had many readers of the Green Inc. blog in a state of agitation.